Fluid flow regulators which respond to temperature changes are already known in the prior art. These regulators may be in the form of a temperature responsive member which expands when subjected to an increase in temperature, to thereby reduce the flow of fluid through the member. One such example of an isolated temperature responsive member is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,111.
The present invention provides an arrangement of an entire regulator which has a body piece confining a temperature responsive member with an orifice, and the member is confined within the body piece so that the orifice is reduced in size when the member is subjected to an increase in temperature. With this arrangement, the regulator of this invention can be utilized for either retaining a constant flow of fluid through the regulator, or it can be utilized for reducing the flow through the regulator, with both functions occurring when the temperature of the fluid is increased. That is, in considering a hydraulic fluid, or one which has a lower viscosity produced by an increase in its temperature, in certain instances it is desirable to have a continuous flow through the regulator when the temperature of the fluid is increased. These particular instances, as mentioned, are desirable in various industrial applications where it is desirable to control the flow of fluid.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to accomplish the aforementioned functions and to do so with a reliable and yet inexpensive and readily provided and readily serviced type of regulator and one which is not complicated and one which consistently repeats its performance of governing the desired quantity of flow in response to specific temperature changes of the fluid flowing therethrough.
Further, it is an object and advantage of this invention to provide a regulator with the aforementioned characteristics and to have the parts of the regulator, and particularly the temperature responsive member, compatible with various fluids which can be flowing through the regulator such that the member will respond to temperature changes and will not deteriorate and alter its characteristic of changing its orifice according to specific temperature changes to which it is subjected.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawings.